Serve would be happy - but without weapons

They speak bad and good about alternative civilian service. And the attitude towards her is different - in people in uniform, in the parents of boys, who will soon join the army, and, of course, in the recruits themselves. Some do not represent what it is, others believe that alternative workers simply strive under any pretext to leave military service. But is it really?

This year in Murmansk, three young men filed an application for an alternative civilian service: two from MSTU - a graduate and a fifth year student, the third graduated from an industrial lyceum. They came to the meeting of the city draft commission with a support group, which, however, the hosts asked to wait outside the door. “There will be questions - we invite!” - strictly said the deputy chairman of the commission, Oleg Kaminsky. I had to obey, after all the institution of the military.

At first, young people were a little timid, but quickly got comfortable and answered questions quite convincingly. And they were asked, basically, why they chose alternative service to the army. The first answer was kept by Arthur, who declared that he was a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Christian Church, and in confirmation presented the relevant certificate.

- Externally, you look physically developed, strong man. Are you afraid of the army? And if the war, what do you do? - asked the guy.

“If I am faced with the question of whether to die or ruin someone’s life, I will choose the first,” Arthur answered confidently, with a sense of his own dignity. From his further explanation it was clear: with the word of God is familiar firsthand.

At the meeting of the draft board, the description of each young man issued by the educational institution was read out. The future metalworker Stanislav, according to the teachers, was not distinguished by his eagerness in study and composure. True, he was always “sociable, benevolent, but avoided dangerous situations”.

- Yes, - confirmed Stanislav, - I prefer to avoid conflicts, I try to resolve any difficult situation by peaceful means. I consider myself a pacifist. People must renounce violence and strive for mercy. This is my credo.

And although the members of the draft board at first doubted, to direct the young man to the ACS or to give him more time to think until spring, the lyceum student managed to achieve his goal. Either the most brilliant description helped him (really, why the "uncollected" in the army?), Or something else ... Only there was a feeling that his pacifist speeches did not really convince adult men. Probably, therefore, at parting, Stanislav said the following words:

- Your outlook for 40-45 years will change radically.

The third, Alexander, who declared his pacifist views, immediately clarified that he was a vegetarian and did not accept any violence, even over animals. That is why it participates in various peacekeeping, humanitarian actions, charity events. And he added that in his childhood he was shocked by the death of a cousin while serving in the army.

- But what about such holy concepts as honor, duty to the Fatherland?

- I am ready to honestly serve where I will be sent - to the hospice, the hospital, to the post office ...

“You could have applied your radio engineering knowledge in the army,” urged members of the draft board.

- The army should serve the professionals who deliberately made their choice. I have my own way in life, - Alexander stood on his own.

So the group of support to future alternatives was not needed, they received directions. As Vladimir Galat, head of the Murmansk City Military Bureau call department, said in an interview with journalists, who, according to him, gave the army 29 “calendars”, today young people have the right to choose - military service or AGS.

This is written down in the Constitution of the Russian Federation and in the Federal Law “On Alternative Civil Service”, adopted on July 25, 2002. “They are not dodgers, they just made their choice. If only the choice was really deliberate, ”he stressed.

Meanwhile, conscripts crowded and worried in the corridor, those who decided to serve in the army for the required year. Some came mentally to support parents and friends. One of the guys, already served, gave me his opinion:

- Of course, they are not deviators. I do not understand those. It's not even that they are breaking the law. We must not respect ourselves in order to run and hide somewhere for years. For the army you need to prepare both morally and physically. After all, I saw in my unit all sorts of guys, including those to whom the road to the army was ordered. Just weak. To serve them is unbearable, and it is difficult to be with them even in the same barracks.

At any moment they can break down, let their comrades down - especially during exercises. I am personally for an honest choice: you can not serve - go to the pacifists, peacekeepers, the sect and ask for AGS. Especially since such a right is given today.

On that day, the picket warrior came to support pacifist friends Alexander Peredruk, who now has an alternative civilian service in the regional clinical hospital - he works as an orderly in the cardiology department. The service life of him - 21 month. The guy is studying by correspondence at the university.

By the way, for those who pass AGS in civilian positions in military organizations (construction departments, factories), the service life is 18 months. The place of its passage is determined by the Federal Service for Supervision and Employment (Rostrud), guided by annually approved lists of professions, positions and organizations. According to Vladimir Galat, the choice of Murmansk alternatives is still small - post office, hospitals, a nursing home.

He also stressed that the application for the replacement of the army service with the alternative one should be submitted six months before the draft. The draft board at the same time takes into account the convictions or religion of the young man, as well as whether he belongs to the indigenous people.

However, as clarified by the Murmansk human rights defenders, whose deferral was prematurely terminated (for example, the young man was expelled from the university) are entitled to submit an application within 10 days from the day the grounds for the deferment were terminated.

We asked Lev Zhurin, chairman of the veteran council of the region, to express their attitude to the AGS:

- I believe that every man should fulfill his sacred duty to the Motherland. Should a war come, who will defend? And without weapons Not only can you not stop the enemy, but you can’t save your loved ones either. Another thing is that children should be trained for military service, and seriously - starting from school, from the family.

“From the family,” I repeat the words of a person who is wise with everyday experience.

An interesting fact: all three current alternatives come from single-parent families, they live with their mothers. Maybe the choice of these guys to some extent, albeit small, but it depended on the female education? However, this is probably a topic for another conversation.